


Home

by Cadoan



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Afterlife, Drabble, Epilogue, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cadoan/pseuds/Cadoan
Summary: “I know he will be waiting for me there.”
Relationships: Achilles/Patroclus (Song of Achilles)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 86





	Home

Blinding light fills my vision, brighter than I have ever seen. I lift my hands to protect my eyes but to no avail. It is all around me, fills my entire being, but I feel no fear, only relief.

I am coming, my beloved.

Suddenly, it is gone, and the world comes back to me with every slow blink of my eyes. 

I am standing next to the river we bathed in during those years with Chiron, before the war. I kneel and put my hand in the water. I cup it and bring it to my mouth, and I drink. Around me, the grass is light green, and I know it is summer. I stand and turn. My feet start walking on their own, towards the rose quartz cave.

I know he will be waiting for me there.

It does not take me long to reach the cave. As I reach the summit, I see him immediately. My whole being sings with joy. 

He is crouched by the fire we built outside the cave when the days got longer and warmer. I still to watch him work, and I do not know for how long I have been standing there when he notices me. He stands slowly, lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. 

My body is moving on its own again, and his arms drop to his side. 

“Patroclus?” I hear him say, unbelieving, and yes, yes, it is I. 

He meets me halfway, eyes wide and wild. He is beautiful. He says my name again, and I say his, and he weeps, tears of joy. His embrace is hard and his kiss is impossibly soft, and his lips taste like salt. He pulls me into the cave, presses kisses to my face, pulls me down onto our bed of animal hides. He maps my body with lips and hands, and I map his. 

When we both come undone, I say his name like a prayer.

“Achilles.”

And he says mine.

Afterwards, he holds me close, and we both weep. He kisses me tenderly and push our noses together.

“Beloved, why didn’t you come sooner?”

I do not lie to him, but I am afraid the truth will break him today. So I say:

“I will tell you, but not today.”

He understands, because of course he does, my beautiful Achilles. He smiles and holds me close, pressing a kiss to the hollow of my throat.

“Of course, Patroclus. We have all the time in the world.”

I let my hands slide through his golden hair. I close my eyes and breathe him, feel him, and I know he speaks the truth.

We have all the time in the world now.

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished this book for the first time, and I cried my eyes out. I needed to get this out of my system.


End file.
